365 Days of Gratitude

Giving thanks is usually reserved for special holidays and Thanksgiving. What would happen, though if you and your family made an effort to show gratitude every day of the year? We took the challenge last year to celebrate Thanksgiving all year long and the result was actually pretty remarkable.

365 Days of Gratitude

 If you are a regular here, you know that our house is not always a peaceful one. In fact, we struggle a lot with staying calm, not yelling and handling our emotions (and I am not just talking about the kids). However, one thing I can say about my family is that they love each other and they are really good at showing it. Last thanksgiving, when I had to celebrate without the boys because they were with their father, I started to reflect on what I was really thankful for.

I decided in that moment to be thankful every day and make it a point to be thankful with my children 365 days of the year. I will be honest, this started as cute crafts we made every month. Let’s see, in December we made ornaments in a vase. In January, we made yarn snowballs, and then in February we made hearts. We were on a roll and sticking to the plan. Then all plans fell apart.

At first I was upset and felt like I had let everyone down. However, I realized that celebrating Thanksgiving every month doesn’t have to happen with cute crafts and fancy artwork. Instead it meant being together as a family and setting an example. So this year, we aren’t making a thankful tree, or a gratitude turkey. Instead, we are simply continuing with keeping it simple, making gratitude a part of our every day life and outwardly showing it with hugs and affection.

That does not mean that there are not some AMAZING ideas out there for ways to celebrate gratitude all year. If you are person that needs the outward reminder, or something to kickstart the habit (like we did last year) than you will love these 10 ways to celebrate thanksgiving with 365 days of gratitude.

365 Days of Gratitude

Practice Gratitude All Year

Start a nightly tradition of giving thanks for people in the family by making napkin rings together as a family that serve as a reminder to tell who/what you are thankful for today.

Another tradition for dinner time, can be to make some gratitude stones that gets passed around the table for each member of the family to share something they are thankful for.

End each day, as a family, adding to a family gratitude journal that is shared between everyone. It sets a great example for the children and is an awesome way to end each day!

Children of any age can be encouraged to write notes of gratitude every day of the year by drawing or writing notes on their favorite paper.

Make a collage of what you are thankful for and have each family member share their collage. Once you are done creating, these collages would make great visual reminders of gratitude.

Celebrating what you are thankful doesn’t have to be done with a fancy craft or complicated process. Instead, try adding marbles or stones to a gratitude jar anytime someone in the family expresses gratitude.

Keep it simple by making a list with the children and finding the perfect shadow box to make a gratitude frame that hangs as a constant visual reminder of what you are thankful for.

Create a gratitude tree to hang cards with what you are thankful for. It is easy to change these out each month with new seasonal cards or with new colors to make it festive and engaging for the kids.

Celebrating the spirit of thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a visual experience. In fact, there are simple steps you can take to practice gratitude all year .

Ending each day with a family meeting is a great way to involve everyone in the family in being thankful. Start each meeting with a positive note from each member of the family.

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls quote by Aesop

More Ideas for Celebrating Thanksgiving and Gratitude All Year

Create a Thankful Tree with Your Kids from Bare Feet on the Dashboard
Thanks Cards as Place Settings from La Cite’ des Vents
A Thankful Display from Hand Made Kids Art
Lego Thanksgiving Activities from Gypsy Road School
365 Days of Thanksgiving from Lemon Lime Adventures
Simple Ways to Teach Gratitude and Thankfulness Daily from A Mother Far From Home
20+ Family Gratitude Activities from Bits of Positivity
Creative Ways to Encourage Gratitude from P is for Preschooler
Cooking with Kids on Thanksgiving from Peace But Not Quiet
Thanksgiving Activities to Encourage Gratitude from Are We There Yet?
Thanksgiving Picture & Word Tracing Printables from Totschooling
Thanksgiving Gratitude Activity from Sugar Aunts
Free Printable for Teaching Kids Thankfulness from Happy and Blessed Home
Family Thankfulness Jar from The Realistic Mama
Follow Dayna :: Lemon Lime Adventures’s board Thanksgiving on Pinterest.

Thanksgiving and Gratitude Giveaway

Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide

I’ve partnered with 30+ fabulous bloggers to bring you a special holiday series packed with crafts, activities, and festive family traditions. We’ve put together a phenomenal giveaway to help knock out your holiday shopping. From 11/3–11/17, you will have the opportunity to win 1 of 4 prize bundles for men, women, kids, and babies! The 4 prize bundles, valued at over $1,800, include gift certificates, toys, jewelry, and more!

 

Holiday Giveaway Gift Guide
a Rafflecopter giveaway

FREE DOWNLOAD

Discover how to get siblings to get along even when all they do is annoy each other with the Sibling “Get Along” Poster Pack!

6 thoughts on “365 Days of Gratitude”

  1. Gratitude is definitely one of those values that deserves more attention throughout the year, and not just at Thanksgiving time!

    1. Lemon Lime Adventures

      Yes! Very much agreed! I am very thankful for you and your support this year! In fact, I have a comment from you on last year’s Thanksgiving post. It makes me smile to think you have been so much a support system for that long!

  2. Pingback: Thanksgiving Activities to Encourage Gratitude - Are We There Yet?

  3. Pingback: 160+ Thanksgiving Ideas - The Realistic Mama

  4. Pingback: Showing gratitude and how to say thank you without saying it

  5. Pingback: 20+ Family Gratitude Activities

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CONNECT WITH ME

Scroll to Top